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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · rock · lash · pitcher · ball · club · straw · cue

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rock — a stone
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com